iTunes, Safari 'to merge'

Apple could be about to combine iTunes with the Safari browser, reports claim

iTunes could soon be integrated into the Safari browser, it has been claimed.

A report on the Three Guys and a Podcast website suggests that Apple wants to combine the two products and scrap the iTunes software application so users will have to use Safari if they want to access iTunes.

Figures from Statcounter give Safari a 4.79 percent market share, though it has been eclipsed by the growth of Google's Chrome in the past two years.

However, by integrating the two products, Safari's market position could be greatly boosted, perhaps even giving it the edge on Internet Explorer and Firefox.

As the report points out, iTunes is in effect a browser, based on WebKit (like Safari and Chrome), albeit with limited functions. By giving Safari all of iTunes' music management and purchasing features it becomes more than just a browser.

However, the information the report is based on suggests that any announcement of plans to integrate iTunes and Safari wouldn't come until Apple's annual music-themed event, which will take place at some time in the autumn.